What happens when a small-town food fight becomes one of the world’s most famous festivals? La Tomatina, held each August in the small town of Buñol in Valencia, Spain, is known for its unusual tradition: thousands of people throwing tomatoes and covering the streets in red. But there is more to the festival than flying tomatoes.
A Festival Born From Chaos
The first tomato fight was never planned. In 1945, during Buñol’s annual Giants and Big-Heads (Gigantes y Cabezudos) parade, a group of young people in the crowd tried to join the procession. When one of the performers fell, a scuffle broke out. The commotion reached a nearby vegetable stand, where people grabbed the tomatoes and began throwing them at each other. The following year, young participants returned with tomatoes of their own, intentionally recreating the chaos. That small act of mischief eventually gave rise to what is now known as La Tomatina.
Tomatoes Rule
At first glance, La Tomatina looks like complete chaos. In reality, the festival follows a surprising number of rules. For example, participants must squash tomatoes before throwing them to reduce the risk of injury. And even the tomatoes are chosen carefully. They’re grown specifically for the festival because they’re inexpensive, very ripe, and soft enough to burst on impact. The tomato fight itself lasts only one hour, beginning at noon and ending with the sound of water cannons. Then fire trucks wash down the streets, and the natural acidity of the tomatoes is said to help with the cleanup.
The Tomato That Refused to Die
La Tomatina almost disappeared before it became famous around the world. In the early 1950s, during Francisco Franco’s dictatorship, authorities banned the festival. After periods of prohibition and attempts to stop the tradition, residents of Buñol found a creative way to protest. In 1957, they organized the “Burial of the Tomato” (Entierro del Tomate). This mock funeral, complete with a giant tomato and a procession, showed how much the community valued the unusual tradition. In the years that followed, La Tomatina returned and continued to evolve into the festival celebrated today.
